A short history of aerocraft*

Invention & Early Years

The first aeroplane was developed by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903. The "Wright Flyer" was launched by a catapult and then glided in the air briefly. However, the first self-propelled airplane was finished in 1906 by Alberto Santos-Dumont. The 2 aircraft kicked off the beginning of the air travel era.

During the First World War, military aircraft, such as German Fokkers or British Vickers, were used for intelligence gathering and ground attacks. As WWI came to an end, aviation flourished. Pioneers such as Lindbergh and Earhart made their crossings of the Atlantic and Pacific, a group of USAF aviators were the first to circumnavigate the Earth, however they were done in the newly invented monoplanes instead of a traditional biplane.

WWII & The Jet Age

Corporations, such as Grumman, Messerschmitt, and North American, mass produced warbirds such as the P-51 and Bf 109. The German Me 262 was the first operating jet aircraft, pioneering the Jet Age and current aviation. After the war, commercial aviation boomed with manufacturers such as Douglas, Boeing, de Havilland, and Airbus dominated early jet commercial aviation, with aircraft such as the Douglas DC-8, Boeing 707 & 747, Airbus A300, and de Havilland Comet. Features such as pressurization, transatlantic flights, and direct long haul flights became the norm with jet engines.

Digital Age

As the 21st century approached, many digital instruments were utilized in commercial aviation. The 1987 Airbus A320 pioneered the fly-by-wire system for flight controls. Flight instruments became electric avionics. Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, and Airbus started dominating the narrowbody, widebody, and regional markets. Flights crossing 2 major oceans were now possible with the latest technology. After the Russian airspace avoidance regulation, aircraft crossed the Arctic Circle to get from Europe to Japan.